So the Duchess Disappeared

40. Betrayal

After putting his meeting with Psyche behind him, Clint returned with a distracted mind. He couldn’t recall what thoughts occupied him during his return.

“…”

From meeting her to parting ways until nightfall, the turmoil within him didn’t settle down. Even though it was late into the night, he couldn’t sleep, sitting quietly and getting lost in his thoughts. Clint remained motionless for a long time, staring into the abyss of darkness.

Despite no one being present, Psyche’s image involuntarily flickered before him. He couldn’t shake off the image of Psyche he met earlier in the day.

‘Why?’

The question echoed in his mind countless times, but he couldn’t find an answer.

‘Why?’

All that returned were echoes of the formless question.

She seemed slightly more refined than when they lived together, but her expression and face appeared much more vibrant. Clint was well aware of the situation in the Alister territory, having gathered information over the years through tracking.

There was no environment better than the Duke’s estate.

Yet, why did she look better now?

Was it because the child was with her?

“Damn it.”

Anger surged through him to the tips of his hair.

After she left him, he repeatedly pondered their married life. Even when he examined their married life with Psyche over and over again, he couldn’t find a reason.

Why did she leave him? Why was he tormented by an insatiable thirst for years?

He never forced emotional turmoil on her, nor did he demand her duties as the Duchess.

“Is it okay to leave the lady alone?”

“Even so… Wouldn’t you feel lonely alone?”

Alejandro had said things in jest about leaving the Duchess alone when Clint often emptied the Duke’s estate.

Clint believed there was a line that shouldn’t be crossed, given that their relationship was based on a contract.

It was a rule that applied to himself and, in his view, to Psyche as well. So, while it might appear that he was neglecting her, it was, in fact, his own form of consideration.

However, if she felt loneliness in that consideration… that would be her mistake.

“Did you run away because of loneliness?”

He uttered the words almost unconsciously.

If asked whether she had abandoned him, he couldn’t affirm it either.

He had undoubtedly given her the best. Good living conditions, a noble position.

Was that not enough?

He had provided an excellent environment and seated her in an honorable position. Was it insufficient?

Simply because she lost a child, did she escape due to grief?

He had vaguely speculated that she fled because of the sorrow of losing the child. But seeing her with another child, the question he had thought about for years came back with a question mark.

“Ha…”

Clint couldn’t organize his thoughts.

Thinking about her only made his mind a mess.

Thump!

Frustrated, he hit the desk loudly.

Even so, his anger didn’t subside. It was the first time he felt emotions gathering like this.

He learned from an early age not to expose emotions. From childhood, he was told repeatedly that someone of his standing shouldn’t be swayed by emotions.

In front of Psyche, I barely suppressed all my feelings, but now I could no longer control them.

If, by any chance, she met another man because of loneliness…

The reason for her escape seemed to make sense.

It had been four years since Psyche left…

The child looked about three years old.

Immediately after losing his child, he realized she must have conceived that child.

‘How is this possible!’

This time, he felt a betrayal that filled him up to his throat.

‘How could this happen?’

His head felt like it was spinning.

An uncontrollable rage was consuming his entire body.

Thinking about Psyche living carefully with another man in a place where he had no presence, a burning pain invaded him.

‘How could she leave me…’

Psyche, living not with him but with another man.

Psyche, giving birth to another man’s child.

Psyche, smiling at someone else. He had never imagined such a thing.

Soon, he realized that the emotion tormenting him so painfully was betrayal.

Betrayal…

Clint had never had a reason to feel such an emotion in his entire life.

For the first time, he felt a desperate sense of defeat against a man he didn’t even know.

Even though he had never fought or faced a sword, it felt like someone was squeezing his heart tightly with their hands.

It was a sensation as if someone was squeezing his heart with their hands.

This feeling was new to him since birth.

He thought he had control over everything, not just his own but even others’.

But when it came to Psyche, nothing went his way.

Even if he pretended to be dead, people who could act as if they were dead were spread all over the world…

The only person who didn’t behave as he wished was Psyche.

So, he felt like he was going crazy.

He couldn’t sleep.

When he closed his eyes, the scene from earlier seemed to replay in his mind as if it were a finely crafted scene.

“Mom…?”

“Uroo?”

The sight of the child calling Psyche mom and her affectionate gaze at the child kept coming to his mind, making it impossible for him to sleep.

“Damn it!”

He cursed aloud.

He felt like screaming, breaking everything.

“…!”

Unable to bear it any longer, he grabbed the glass on the desk with all his strength.

Crack.

He didn’t even realize how hard he had squeezed it, but at that moment, the cup crumpled and shattered.

But Clint, overwhelmed by anger, didn’t even notice the cup breaking in his hands.

“Damn it! Why won’t the fire light up…?”

Alarmed by the noise, Alejandro, who came to check on Clint, was surprised when he brought the lantern and placed it on the desk.

“Oh my God. Your Grace, your, your hand!”

He didn’t realize that the shattered glass was cutting into his flesh.

In the anger that rushed to his head, he couldn’t even feel the pain.

Alejandro was only surprised to see red blood pouring onto the desk.

“It’s noisy.”

Clint paid no attention to Alejandro, who was making a fuss in front of him.

The pain and reality felt distant.

Even now, he felt that if he went right away, tore apart the limbs of the unknown man, and brought Psyche in front of him, it would be refreshing.

“Right now, right now, bring Psyche to me…”

“Eh?”

Clint had no self-awareness that he was shouting for Psyche.

Alejandro’s startled and bustling actions did not register at all.

“Bring her here!”

“Your Grace, let’s stop the bleeding first.”

Alejandro rushed outside to summon the local physician.

Soon, the knights, who were on standby, brought in medicine and bandages.

Alejandro realized that Clint’s mood was very uncomfortable, so he sent everyone away, leaving only himself.

Clint still held the cup tightly.

Blood was flowing gracefully, forming a circle and dripping onto the floor.

“This could be a big problem.”

Alejandro, with a frowning forehead, forcibly removed Clint’s hand.

But no matter how hard Alejandro tried, Clint’s hand, with visible blood vessels, remained as stiff as stone.

“Your Grace…”

He awkwardly tried to gauge Clint’s mood.

Only then did Clint’s gaze, which had been staring into space, finally descend towards Alejandro.

“Send a letter immediately.”

His cold eyes stared straight at him.

Clint’s face, consumed by anger, appeared excessively restrained to Alejandro, making it even more chilling than the winter cold.

“Yes?”

Simultaneously with those words, Alejandro saw a slight relaxation in Clint’s grip.

“To Alister Castle, send an official letter stating that I will visit tomorrow.”

“Ah, understood. But first, please show me your hand.”

Alejandro thought Clint was just venting his anger.

Glass shards were mercilessly embedded in his hand, causing continuous bleeding.

“Goodness.”

His hand contained his full fury.

Afraid that he might make the wound worse, Alejandro only wiped away the blood around the injury.

“Did you hear me?”

“…Yes?”

“Send the letter immediately. Arrange for the visit tomorrow.”

“Alright?”

Alejandro was completely absent-minded.

“Stamp it with the Valentine family crest and send it properly.”

Clint then abruptly shook off the blood-stained hand. Glass fragments embedded in his hand fell off in torrents.

After that, he snatched the bandage Alejandro had and roughly wrapped it around his hand. With a wave, he indicated Alejandro to leave.

He wanted to go immediately, to bring Psyche out of that castle right now. Patience was the best he could muster at the moment.

“What are you doing?”

Alejandro had a bewildered expression.

“Hurry up.”

“Yes, understood.”

Alejandro quickly nodded his head.

He immediately sent an official letter to the Alister territory with the Duke’s message.